I was at work on Friday at Level Green, we finished up early so I decided to ride. I hopped on Reggie and had a friend grab Big Monty from the field to hack around on him a little so he could get the excercise and I wouldn't have to ride alone.
The ride went really well, afterwards my friend had to leave so I said I'd take care of cooling down the boys. Tiffany and Mrs. T had gone to pick up Tommy from the vet's, so I was alone on the property when I realized that Biggie had started to colic. He was banging his sides into his stall walls, and then tried to roll, so I shoved Reggie in the nearest stall and grabbed Biggie and started to walk him around. He kept trying to roll on me so I called mom - we tried to get in touch with someone (of course Mrs. Betts was on vacation!) and then called the vet. We'd been walking for about an hour and a half when the vet got there, and he was getting worse. Every few steps it was like he'd let his hind end collapse as he tried to roll.
The vet gave him some drugs to make him comfortable and then intubated his stomach, then we sat and waited for awhile. When the drugs started to wear off it became apparent that he wasn't feeling any better, he just kind of wanted to lay down quietly and the vet said that was alright. As time went on he got more uncomfortable and tried to roll more, the vet said it would probably be best for him to go to a 24 hour clinc so that he could be watched.
So at about 10:30 we put him on a trailer and headed to Woodside Equine Clinic in Ashland, when we got there it was about midnight and we unloaded him and met up with the vets. (They were all so wonderful and kind!). The gave him a rectal and ultra sound, said it was likely an impaction and they'd take good care of him overnight. We got home really late, and I wasn't able to sleep much because I was so worried about him.
The next morning my mom got a call from the vet - he was hanging in there, but not doing any better. I called back in the late afternoon to check on him and they said his condition was worsening. He was showing signs of more pain and on the recent rectal and ultra sound, they noticed twisting of his colon and wanted to operate. After a few phone calls we decided that was probably the best decision, and he went under Saturday night to get fixed up.
We got a call around 10:30 saying that the operation went well and that he was awake and a bit groggy, but as good as could be expected after major surgery.
The next morning they said he was doing well and had started to eat - and that we could come and visit. I took some pictures so I could chronicle his recovery.
You can see that he was in pretty good spirits. They let me in to brush him and love on him, he was looking really perky and friendly.
They had to stitch his catheter thing into his skin so that he couldn't pull it out. It looked kind of painful!
((Facebook, where I have the pictures uploaded, just went down so I am going to have to finish this post later!))
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